


Be Good For Goodness Sake

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [186]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 04:18:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17114327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: Prue has a Christmas surprise for Nate. Their parents don't appreciate Prue's surprise as much as Nate does.





	Be Good For Goodness Sake

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further.
> 
> The twins are 12 in this installment.
> 
> It's the beginning of Christmas week and the promised fic a day. This is a prompt from shannbaskets who wanted to see Prue and Nate having an adventure together.
> 
> This installment is 177/186. The chronological list for the series, with hyperlinks, can be found at  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/11051019

Artwork by Deena_K

 

Nate sketched the view outside his classroom window as his algebra teacher wrote equations on the board. It was the last day of class before the winter break and he’d been counting down the seconds all week. He was looking forward to the time off and not having to think about school or homework. Tuning out his teacher, he used his eraser to smudge the lines of the clouds to soften their appearance. Not for the first time, he wished his parents would let him drop his math class and replace it with art. It was bad enough he was in a special class for kids who weren’t as smart as everyone else, but the timing of the class meant he couldn’t take art this year. His da would get angry if he heard him say he wasn’t smart. His parents insisted he was smart even though his brain didn’t process letters and numbers like everyone else. Nate thought they said that as much to make themselves feel better as him. He didn’t really need or want to hear it. He’d come to realize that he was never going to be as smart as his brothers and sisters. He was never going to be an engineer like Will or a doctor like Bobby. He wasn’t sure what his sisters were going to be, but he was sure that whatever Becca and Prue decided to do, they were going to be good at it. Nate was never going to use math in his career, of that, he had no doubt. It seemed like a waste of his time to make him sit through math. He knew he wouldn’t fight so much with his da if he didn’t have to do math homework. He loved drawing. He’d much rather be in art class than listening to his math teacher try to explain how to solve a single variable equation. Nate glanced at the five other students in his class and, from the blank look on their faces, he was certain no one else would be able to solve any of the equations the teacher was putting up either.

Everyone’s heads turned when the classroom door open and Prue walked inside. Nate sat up straighter as he watched his twin walk across the room and hand his teacher a note. She looked at Nate and gave him a wink.

“Gather your things, Nate,” Mr. Litt said as he placed the note on his desk, “your father is waiting for you.”

Nate shoved his notebook and pencil into his bookbag and followed Prue into the hallway. Once the door closed behind them he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“I’m not sick,” Prue said. “Let’s get our coats.”

Nate and Prue grabbed their coats from their lockers and hurried outside. Nate looked around for their da’s car, but he didn’t see it. Prue grabbed his sleeve and pulled him towards a dark sedan. A driver got out of the car and held the door open for them.

“Did something happen to mom or dads?” Nate whispered as the driver closed the door behind them. He could think of no other reason for his parents sending a car for them instead of coming themselves.

“Mom and dads are fine,” Prue whispered back. Her eyes nervously followed the driver move around the car. “Be quiet and don’t ask any more questions.”

Nate frowned at his sister. He didn’t like getting bossed around, but Prue was usually right about most things. If she was telling him to be quiet, she probably had a good reason. He was surprised when the driver didn’t head towards their house but towards the Glades instead. Nate had a moment of fear. He wondered if they were getting kidnapped, but when he looked at his sister she was grinning and practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. He couldn’t help but smile at her wriggling. Prue was up to something, and he could feel her excitement begin to fill him.

The driver stopped at the new outdoor shopping pavilion that had been built in an area of the Glades his parents still referred to as No Man’s Land. Everyone else called this part of the Glades, the Rise. Nate was aware that his grandfather had destroyed this part of the city with a machine that caused an earthquake. Most of the people who died in the Undertaking, including their Aunt Laurel, had died in the twenty square blocks that now made up the Rise. Nate and Prue had been asking their parents to take them to the new shopping area, but so far no one would take them. Their parents, especially their da, were reluctant to show their faces in this part of the Glades unless it was for charity work. It didn’t seem fair that they were getting punished for something their grandfather had done – they’d never even met him. They weren’t even allowed to call him grandfather. Their da said if they had to mention him, they should call him Malcolm or he who should not be named. It wasn’t a secret that his da didn’t like his own dad very much. If one of his dads killed as many people as Malcolm did, he probably wouldn’t like them very much either. Nate thought there was more to why their da didn’t like his dad, but their da would never tell them anything about his life with Malcolm before he became a murderer. It was unfortunate that Malcolm had made such a mess of things because the new shopping center was supposed to be amazing. All his friends at school had already been and had raved about the game arcade and movie theater. If people knew that their daddy was the Green Arrow, they’d be welcomed in this part of the city. The Green Arrow was a hero in the Glades. It sucked that their family was linked to Malcolm but not to Team Arrow.

Prue nudged him when Nate hadn’t moved to get out of the car when the driver opened the door. He was too stunned by the fact that they were in the Rise. He grabbed his bookbag and got out of the car. Prue thanked the driver and they watched as he pulled back into traffic. She quickly put a baseball cap on his head and then tucked her curly blonde hair under a cap of her own. He smiled at her attempt to conceal their identity.

Prue turned to her brother and clapped her hands with excitement. “Merry Christmas.”

Nate looked over his shoulder at the stores decorated for the holidays. “Did you break us out of school to go shopping?” he asked with disbelief. Prue wouldn’t risk their parents anger for a little shopping.

Prue nodded her head. “I wrote a note from da saying I had a doctor’s appointment and that you needed to come too.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “It’s been awhile since we had an adventure together.”

Nate took the paper from her and couldn’t believe what he saw. He was holding two admissions for _Golden Galaxy Part Two_. _Golden Galaxy Part One_ was his favorite movie and he was dying to see the sequel. It was the only thing he’d been thinking and talking about for weeks. “How? It’s sold out until next year.”

“I ordered them online as soon as they went on sale,” she said with pride. “Are you surprised?”

“You’re the best sister ever,” he said.

“Come on,” Prue said grabbing his sleeve. “I want to get popcorn and chocolate.”

“Oh, we should get raspberry slushies too,” he said as he allowed her to pull him along.

“Duh, it’s not a movie without a raspberry slushy,” she said with a smile.

 

“That was awesome,” Nate said with excitement as they left the movie theater. “I can’t believe we have to wait two more years for part three.”

“It’s not fair,” Prue agreed. “I need to know if Zarra is going to be okay. Do you think she was captured or escaped?”

“She totally escaped,” Nate said. “She’s way smarter than Xerxes.”

“I hope so,” a worried looking Prue said. “We still have two hours before da expects us at home. Do you want to walk around or check out the arcade?”

Nate arched a brow. There could be no doubt what his answer would be. He’d been talking about the arcade almost as much as _Golden Galaxy_.

Prue laughed. “I figured you’d say that.”

They walked towards the arcade and both came to a stop at a large display. A banner hung from the second floor balcony. Drawings of the Green Arrow, Arsenal, Spartan, Archer, Doctor Midnight and the Black Canary were all wearing red Santa hats. The sign read, _Seasons Greetings from the Heroes of Starling City_.

“Do you think daddy knows about this?” Nate asked as he took in the festive sign. It seemed incongruous to see his crime fighting family wishing shoppers holiday cheer.

Prue snapped a few pictures of the sign. “I doubt it.” She glanced around at the stores. “I wonder if they’re selling the picture anywhere. It might be a funny present to give everyone for Christmas. Uncle John hasn’t gone out as Spartan in years. He might like to know that the city still thinks of him.”

Nate looked around and he pointed to a booth. “Maybe the guy at Information knows.”

“Maybe when Grace leaves the army, she can be Will and Bobby’s Spartan,” Prue said hopefully. “I’m going to forward her the picture. It might make her less lonely at Christmas.”

Nate put an arm around his sister’s shoulders when he saw her eyes fill with tears. Grace was deployed overseas and wasn’t coming home for Christmas this year. Prue wasn’t happy about it. She missed their cousin and was counting down the days until her seven years was up. Grace still had four more years to go. For Prue’s sake, Nate hoped Grace didn’t reenlist.

“I’m sure she’ll love it.” Nate said. “I’ll take some pictures of you too.”

Prue smiled. “We’ll take pictures of both of us.” The smile fell from her face. “Promise me you won’t ever join the army.”

Nate laughed. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. I don’t like waking up early or making my bed.”

Prue stopped walking. “Promise me. I wouldn’t be able to take it if you did.”

The worry on his twin’s face made his stomach knot. “I promise. We’ll always spend Christmas together.”

Prue sighed with relief. “If they don’t have the picture from the banner for sale, I’ll print the pictures I took.”

“That’s a good idea. Daddy’s always so hard to shop for.” Nate tugged on Prue’s hand. “Come on. We don’t have a lot of time before we need to be home.”

 

The driver dropped them off a block away from their house. They didn’t want their da to see them getting out of a car. Nate used his key to unlock the front door and he allowed Prue to enter first. They hung up their coats in the closet and left their bookbags on the bottom stair. Nate had no intention of thinking about school until the night before he had to go back.

Nate was surprised to find his mom and dad in the kitchen with their da.

“You’re home early,” Prue said with delight as she hugged their mom.

The look on their daddy’s face made Nate want to warn his sister. Their daddy looked angry. He needed to play it cool. Prue was really good at covering their tracks. He doubted his parents knew where they’d been.

“How was school today?” Tommy asked as he placed their snack on the table.

Nate didn’t want to raise any suspicion, so he delivered his standard answer. “Fine.”

“No one wanted to do anything but talk about Christmas,” Prue said as she picked up the bowl of apple sauce. “Are we baking cookies tonight?” she asked Tommy.

Tommy sat down at the table. “I thought you could do your homework tonight. We can bake tomorrow.”

“Da,” Nate whined, “we’re on vacation. We don’t have any homework.”

“Not according to Mr. Litt,” Oliver said. “Your teacher was kind enough to send us an email inquiring after Prue’s health and sending the equations you weren’t able to work on in class because you had to leave early to accompany her to her doctor’s appointment.”

Tommy held out his hand when Nate started to speak. He turned his attention to Prue. “You forged a note from me?”

“Yes,” Prue admitted.

“You broke into my work computer to order a car and driver – a service which uses QC money, not ours,” Felicity said.

“Yes,” Prue said quietly.

“You used my credit card to order movie tickets,” Tommy said.

“After you hacked the movie theater to get yourself a better lottery number,” Felicity said.

“Yes,” Prue answered.

Nate did his best not to react to his sister’s list of crimes. He was totally impressed with her skills, but he didn’t think giving her a high five would go over well. They would’ve gotten away with it if his math teacher hadn’t been such a kiss ass trying to impress his parents.

“You got sloppy covering your code,” Felicity said. “Once I knew that you two were playing hooky, it wasn’t hard to uncover your tracks.” She leaned into her daughter. “If you’re going to hack, don’t get caught.”

“Mom,” Prue said quietly.

“You’re grounded,” Felicity said to Prue. “You won’t be staying at Emma and William’s. You’re going to come to the office with me until Christmas. I’ve asked your teachers for extra credit homework.”

“Nate wasn’t in on it,” Prue said, loyal to the end. Nate had a lot of friends with sisters, but none of them had a sister as amazing as his. “He thought we were meeting da.”

“But he went along with it after he learned the truth,” Felicity said.

Nate’s eyes filled with tears as he thought about spending his entire school vacation doing extra homework. “Please don’t make me do extra homework,” he begged. “I won’t play video games,” he countered.

“You’re going to go to the food pantry every day until Christmas and do whatever Mrs. Green tells you to do. Pack boxes, wash dishes, scrub toilets – whatever she needs,” Tommy said sternly.

Nate breathed a sigh of relief. Emma’s mom liked him. She wouldn’t make him scrub a toilet and even if she did, it was better than extra homework. “Okay.”

“Go get your bookbags,” Tommy said, “you’re doing homework until dinner.”

“I hope that movie was worth it. You broke our trust. We’re very disappointed in you,” Oliver said, his arms folded across his chest.

“Sorry,” Prue and Nate said together.

Prue and Nate reluctantly returned to the hall to collect their bags. “I’m really sorry I got you into trouble,” Prue said. “I’m sure Mrs. Green won’t make you scrub toilets.”

“It’s not your fault. You’re a total badass. Stupid Mr. Litt and his equations,” Nate said, picking up Prue’s bag. “I’m sorry about Ruby and Hazel.”

“The movie was good though, right?” Prue asked.

Nate handed Prue her bag. He hated to see the look of guilt on her face. She was more worried about his punishment than she was disappointed that she wouldn’t get to spend the next few days hanging out with Emma, Ruby, and Hazel. Going to the movies and the arcade had been a fantastic surprise and he wanted Prue to stop looking like she ruined his life. “It was awesome.”

Prue’s face lit up with a smile.

Nate slung his arm over Prue’s shoulder. As much as he hated disappointing his parents, he wouldn’t do their day any differently. “No matter what else I get, this will be my favorite present this year. Totally worth getting grounded for.” Nate meant every word. Even with being grounded, Prue had already made this a great Christmas. He was going to need to ask Becca for help picking out another present for Prue. The crystal rabbit pin for her bookbag wasn’t going to cut it after today.

“I’ll help you with your equations,” Prue said. “We’ll get your homework done before dinner. I can finish mine at mom’s office on Monday.”

“Merry Christmas, Prue.”

Prue knocked her shoulder into his. “Merry Christmas, Nate.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Your kudos and comments are what keep me writing and are always appreciated.
> 
> So far, most of the prompts for the holiday fics have been about the kids. I think we're all reacting to the dystopian future on Arrow and want to see some happy family fluff. Let me know if you have any prompts about our favorite threesome.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. I'm always happy to answer questions about this verse or anything else Arrow. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com


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